I Don't Want to be a Hero - Second Year
Chapter Thirty-Three
An Interlude 'Til Christmas - Part V of V
28 Nov 1992 - Early Evening
As Lucius promised he took Harry to visit his father at St. Mungos. Draco was free this Saturday evening and so he would visit as well. All three walked through St. Mungos led by the volunteer carer that had been assigned to Severus Snape.
Melanie Gulliver was a pretty thing with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a figure unblemished by Glamour charms; a magic not allowed at St. Mungos. Melanie chatted sweetly as she updated the Malfoys and Harry on the status of her patient.
"I heard Sirius Black is here," mentioned Draco.
"He is," Melanie confirmed. "The Ministry had him taken to the Janus Thickey Ward. He's in Silent Lockdown right now since he can't stop insulting, yelling or threatening anyone that comes near."
"Will anything be done for the man?" asked Lucius more out of curiosity than a reason to care.
"I overheard that there is a Healer that's been working with a Death Eater in Siberia…" Melanie began.
"Bellatrix LeStrange?" Lucius asked in some revulsion.
Melanie again nodded with no apparent knowledge of who Bellatrix LeStrange was to Lucius Malfoy. "The Black Family has a very wide, ancestral streak of insanity, and Sirius Black's madness was only exacerbated by his unjust time in Azkaban…" Melanie, realising she was speaking upon a subject rather too knowledgeably for a volunteer carer, stopped speaking. She then added in a lower, abashed voice, "...so I've heard."
"Gentlemen," began Lucius with some urgency. "I need to speak to Healer Smethwyck so go in and visit with Severus. I will join you later."
"All right, father." Together, Draco and Harry entered Severus' room but not before glancing over their shoulders to watch Lucius stride with purpose down the hall.
Harry turned away from the doorway to give his attention to his father.
"Hi, dad! It's me, Harry." Harry took his father's hand gently into his own. With his other hand he very carefully touched the plaster that supported the broken nose as it slowly healed.
In his dream world Severus 'woke' to the pleasure of his son visiting him. "Harry! How are you?" He could feel his son's fingers feathering over his nose. "Careful, Harry. I might sneeze."
"I wonder if Uncle Severus can sneeze while he's asleep," mused Draco as he moved to stand beside his best friend. "Hullo, Uncle Severus. Are you playing baseball?"
"I told Draco and Ron all about it, dad," said Harry. "Ron thought it all sounded silly."
"I think it sounds neat, Uncle Severus. Maybe we can play a game during the summer," suggested Draco.
"That would be wicked!" agreed Harry, his features lighting up at the prospect.
In Severus' dream world his son's joy swept through the forest with the increase of sunlight pouring down through the leaves of the trees. A gentle breeze, which Severus identified as his godson, whirled about the floor of the forest capriciously. He listened in pleasant comfort as the two boys rattled on about baseball and how they would create a team, then about Quidditch on Sunday the next time. Draco would be playing for Slytherin House, and his family, and Harry would be cheering him on.
"Slytherin is playing Hufflepuff," explained Harry, "so I can cheer for Slytherin."
The breeze died down, and clouds crossed before the sun. Severus sat up worrying over what his son was going to tell him.
"Dad, I got a letter from Remus Lupin…" began Harry tentatively.
"Lupin's been telling everyone about how he rescued you from Sirius Black," Draco interrupted.
"What?" exclaimed Severus. "Lupin rescued me?"
"Yeah, well," said Harry as he nudged Draco for interrupting. "Lupin says it was the Headmaster that told him you needed saving." Harry shrugged. "No one told us anything so I don't know if it's true. But, the letter, dad. Lupin wants me to come have tea with him and the Headmaster."
"Shouldn't go, Harry," murmured Draco.
"Maybe not… dad?" asked Harry with a sudden thought. "Maybe I should wait until you're well then you can come with me?"
Usually Severus would shut such a notion down with no consideration. He would not stop Harry from visiting Lupin but he had no desire to be near the man. This dream world changed his reactions. Harry did not say so but there was a part of him beyond being curious that wanted to finally meet Lupin. To see for himself if he was really as bad as his father thought him to be. Severus was able to sense his son's need to meet Lupin for himself, and to learn if there was anything about Lupin to like.
Severus drew in a deep breath, and exhaled it. "Yes. Yes, Harry. Wait for me, and we shall visit Lupin together." He would make certain Harry knew Lupin but it did not mean he had to enjoy the visit.
"Father?" Draco's voice filled with concern broke across the Forbidden Forest of Severus' dreaming contemplation. "What's wrong?"
"Gentlemen, go to the waiting room," Lucius ordered with restraint. "I need to speak to Severus."
Severus felt his son leave and it felt as though someone were pulling him away. He could also feel the miasma of Lucius' chaotic emotions. He, too, felt the curiosity of the information the aristocrat held.
As had become habit Lucius moved to seat himself so he held Severus upper body against his so he could comb the sleeping wizard's hair. The care of his friend comforted him. He spoke softly, "Severus, I doubt anyone told you but Sirius Black is here. He is in the Janus Thickey Ward under what they call a Silent Lockdown. He is surrounded by silencing wards, and a ward that keeps him in his room. Kingsley would not allow the Aurory to put him back in Azkaban."
Severus leaned back as he felt the tines of the comb Lucius wielded against his scalp. The roots of his favourite tree shifted to comfortably hold him. "Azkaban would kill Sirius but not before it destroyed him," declared Severus.
"This is what disturbs me, my friend. I spoke to your Healer, Hippocrates Smethwyck and he tells me that a Healer specialising in the Mind of the Wizard has been working in Siberia, on my dear sister-in-law." Lucius grimaced.
Severus felt Lucius' distaste like a sharp chill that had broken through the warmth of the sunlight above.
"Smethwyck was only too pleased to tell me that 'Mrs. LeStrange has made great strides under the healing of Healer Beiwe Hu'. Great strides, indeed! Does he not know that Bellatrix wielded her madness like a whip and she would never allow anyone to touch it. The only 'great strides' that harpy would effect is her own freedom."
Severus nodded in agreement, "Her insanity is what drew Voldemort to her side. I suspect the Dark Wizard was often… aroused… by your sister-in-law's cruelty."
"Healer Beiwe Hu's skill is nothing to the twisted insanity of my sister-in-law. She will play him, and laugh at him in the darkness. Severus," Lucius stopped combing his friend's hair. "What if Bellatrix manages to escape due to 'leniency'?"
Severus sat up sharply as the vision of the Forbidden Forest was jarringly replaced by the sight of Riddle Cemetery and its ghastly sentinel, the Angel of Death. Shades, true shadows, of the Death Eaters of old, and a very handsome, and charismatic Lord Voldemort drifted before the Potions Master.
Bellatrix LeStrange was at his side before the Slytherins that awaited her master's painful touch. She smiled wickedly to reveal teeth she had recently sharpened; her maw resembled that of a bloodthirsty shark. In fact, she kept biting her lips which caused rivulets of blood to redden her lips dangerously. Lord Voldemort, a starkly beautiful man who even then was showing a touch of his own madness by stopping beside Bellatrix, and not kissing her, but licking her own blood from her lips.
Young Severus knew he was to show no emotion, not even feigned fervour for his soon-to-be master. Yet, in quelling his own emotions he was all too aware of the roiling illness of Lucius who had brought him as the young newlywed stood beside his slit-eyed father. Beside Severus, brought to the Dark Lord by his parents, Regulus barely controlled his fear of not just Lord Voldemort but all those wizards and witches that looked down upon him in judgement.
Before either of the young men knew it they both cried out in agony as Lord Voldemort forced his sigil beneath the skin of their forearms. Lucius dared not even wince his revulsion at the pain he had delivered his friend into. Walburga Black's smile was a grimace as she watched her niece Bellatrix burst into screeches of laughter, and danced about the two stricken wizards as they signed over their souls to their new master.
It was a memory that so reviled, and terrified Severus, that his shudder was felt by Lucius.
Lucius carefully lay his friend back down in his bed, and then placed his hand over the man's heart. "Hush, my friend. I vow to keep you, and Harry safe. Dream of pleasantries. Dream well."
The nightmare of Riddle Cemetery faded, and Severus found himself in the comfort of his private lab. Leaving behind the spectre of that memory he moved to his ingredients cabinet where he gather ingredients for a simple Calming Potion. As he lost himself to the meditation of brewing he was unaware of the end of his visit with Lucius.
The Interlude Ends
On Sunday the Malfoys and Harry all cheered for Draco in Slytherin. Many Gryffindors looked upon Harry as a traitor until the twins, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and even Neville stepped away from the Gryffindor box to cheer on their friend. Luna was all ready there.
Draco flew after the Snitch like a devil on a broom but not simply for his parents, he wanted to show his friends how good he was. Draco did catch the Snitch but Slytherin unfortunately lost by one, tiny point; Hufflepuff made more goals. Draco seemed completely inconsolable until Lucius treated everyone to chili dogs at a corner vendor and ice cream for dessert at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
Narcissa was worn down by then so Lucius had everyone come to the cottage. Narcissa went to lie down while Lucius joined the children in a game of Catch the Snitch.
Narcissa woke with a craving at ten of the clock which sent Lucius to Cornwall to talk Jamie Oliver (Muggle chef) into cooking several spicy oggies for his wife. While he ran that errand Kili and Fili the house elves cooked the same dish for the children. They began to eat their second dinner just as Lucius arrived with the desired oggies. Narcissa was delighted, and immediately fell asleep once she was finished.
All of the youngsters ultimately crashed on the living room floor. Draco was curled up with Hermione, Harry was sandwiched between Luna and Ginny, and Fred, George, Ron, and Neville were all piled in a heap of arms and legs near the hearth. Lucius dimmed the perfumed oil lamps, and wished the children a silent good eve.
The rest of November passed by in a near blur that was only punctuated for Harry by visits to his father. He counted down the weekends, and could not wait for his father to wake, and to return to him.
The Malfoys would have their Winter Ball before the Christmas Day on the 23rd of December. All of Draco and Harry's friends were invited. Lucius worked with the boys to make sure they were all properly outfitted, and Narcissa - now in her sixth month - had taken all of the girls to her favourite couturier in Paris to make certain all were properly attired for the Winter Ball.
The twenty-first of December brought the start of Christmas holidays and the end of school until the 4th of January. At the end of the day on the 21st Harry did not stay to say farewell to his friends as Lucius took him straightaway to St. Mungos where they would wake Severus from his deep sleep.
Harry was excited to see his father but did his best to not start jumping around. He held tight to Lucius Malfoy's hand in Severus' room in St. Mungos and he watched, his breath held, as Healer Smethwyck and his two junior Healers removed the breathing bladder, and helped Severus' new lungs take their first breath.
The lungs worked well but when the Waking Spell was cast, Severus did not wake up. Healer Smethwyck then tried Wakeman's Wizard Waking Potion, and that did not work either.
Harry let go of the breath he was holding but his grip tightened on Lucius' fingers. "What is going on, Healer?" asked Lucius tightly.
Healer Smethwyck turned, "Mr. Malfoy, would you take the boy into the Waiting Room?"
"What's wrong?" asked Harry in a small, very worried voice.
"Come along, Harry," urged Lucius. "The Healers need to work without us watching." He practically dragged the boy from his father's room. Just as they were leaving, an Asian Healer hurried into the room.
Once in the Waiting Room Lucius closed the door, and began to pace. "Professor Malfoy," Harry's voice rose to a near hysteria that he was barely holding back. "Why won't my dad wake up?"
Lucius paced a moment, then looked towards Severus' room for answers that were not forthcoming. "I cannot say, Harry. I just do not know why he is not waking."
a/n: Oggies more formally known as Cornish Pasties are synonymous with Cornwall. It consists of a short crust pastry filled with uncooked beef, rutabagas, onions, and potatoes. This pie is then baked to cook the filling ingredients. It is strongly associated with the Cornish miners, who would carry it with them to eat while working. The pasty is known for its ability to keep well. Jamie Oliver is a native of Cornwall and has a restaurant there that keeps in the tradition of Cornwall dishes.